Ham radio operators in North Dakota: new licenses by county
1,445 licensed amateur radio operators; 48 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 7
- New hams · last 12 months
- 48
- ▲ 17% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 1,445
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 30
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 16
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 21
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 100
About ham radio in North Dakota
48 new hams got their start in North Dakota over the past 12 months, a 17% jump from the prior year. North Dakota ranks #51 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Burleigh County leads the state with 10 new hams. Technicians make up 45% of the state’s licensees, below the U.S. average of 48%, pointing to an experienced, HF-heavy community. 30 operators upgraded their license in the past year, the moment many buy their first HF rig.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | 4 |
| May 2026 | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | 4 |
| Total | 48 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 649 | 45% | 48% |
| General | 388 | 27% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 306 | 21% | 21% |
| Advanced | 51 | 4% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 51 | 4% | 2% |
Bar = North Dakota share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 11 operators upgraded to General and 14 to Amateur Extra.
How North Dakota compares
#51 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 33.2 | 33.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 20.8 | 15.3 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 69.2 | 58.2 |
48 new hams in North Dakota this past year. Get next month’s list free.
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| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burleigh County | 10 | — | 186 | 53.8 |
| 2 | Cass County | 10 | 0% | 333 | 30.0 |
| 3 | Ward County | 5 | — | 140 | 35.7 |
| 4 | Grand Forks County | 4 | — | 184 | 21.7 |
— in Change means fewer than 10 new hams the year before.
All North Dakota counties
4 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Burleigh County10 new hams in 12 months
- Cass County10 new hams in 12 months
- Grand Forks County4 new hams in 12 months
- Ward County5 new hams in 12 months
Smaller North Dakota counties
These 49 counties have too few licensees or too little recent activity for a page of their own, so their numbers are listed here.
Show all 49 smaller counties
| County | Active hams | New hams · 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 5 | 0 |
| Barnes County | 17 | 1 |
| Benson County | 15 | 0 |
| Billings County | 0 | 0 |
| Bottineau County | 13 | 0 |
| Bowman County | 22 | 0 |
| Burke County | 2 | 0 |
| Cavalier County | 5 | 0 |
| Dickey County | 9 | 0 |
| Divide County | 1 | 0 |
| Dunn County | 8 | 0 |
| Eddy County | 7 | 0 |
| Emmons County | 3 | 0 |
| Foster County | 7 | 0 |
| Golden Valley County | 6 | 0 |
| Grant County | 2 | 0 |
| Griggs County | 9 | 0 |
| Hettinger County | 6 | 0 |
| Kidder County | 6 | 0 |
| LaMoure County | 10 | 0 |
| Logan County | 8 | 0 |
| McHenry County | 5 | 0 |
| McIntosh County | 1 | 0 |
| McKenzie County | 22 | 0 |
| McLean County | 12 | 0 |
| Mercer County | 2 | 0 |
| Morton County | 64 | 2 |
| Mountrail County | 17 | 0 |
| Nelson County | 4 | 0 |
| Oliver County | 8 | 0 |
| Pembina County | 23 | 1 |
| Pierce County | 6 | 0 |
| Ramsey County | 12 | 0 |
| Ransom County | 10 | 0 |
| Renville County | 4 | 0 |
| Richland County | 28 | 2 |
| Rolette County | 5 | 0 |
| Sargent County | 4 | 0 |
| Sheridan County | 4 | 0 |
| Sioux County | 0 | 0 |
| Slope County | 2 | 0 |
| Stark County | 88 | 2 |
| Steele County | 4 | 2 |
| Stutsman County | 32 | 0 |
| Towner County | 9 | 0 |
| Traill County | 18 | 2 |
| Walsh County | 10 | 1 |
| Wells County | 11 | 0 |
| Williams County | 36 | 0 |
Neighboring states
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in North Dakota
How many ham radio operators are in North Dakota?
1,445 active amateur radio licensees are on file for North Dakota as of Oct 12, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in North Dakota last year?
48 people in North Dakota received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 12, 2026.
Which North Dakota counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Burleigh County (10), Cass County (10) and Ward County (5).
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.
99% of North Dakota licensees could be matched to a county.